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. Please, she cried, reaching for him, but he pulled away.He had to be strong. You don t want to be promoted because you re sleeping around the company, and I don t want mypersonal life, past or present, splashed around the tabloids.Reporters were ruthless.Cunning.They d posted a sex tape of his brother online, for fuck s sake.He couldn t risk the world finding out how he d grown up, speculating and reading into hisrelationships to see if his past carried into his present.He loved her, but right now, the thought of hispast being public knowledge scared him more than the thought of losing her.She collapsed against the bike, wrapping her arms around herself.He had to walk past her on his way to the door.When his arm brushed hers, he lowered his headand whispered,  When you go back to your room and look in the mirror, remember who it was thatcrushed your beautiful spirit.Remember that the next time you think you and I would ever be a goodidea.With a heavy breath, and an ache in his heart too profound for words, he walked away.Just as thememories of his past haunted him, he d carry the heartbreaking sound of her sobbing with him for therest of his life.Chapter FifteenPenn stared at the empty closet in Cole s hotel room.She d convinced a maid to let her in, pretendingthere was an emergency.But there was no emergency.Just the sick, heavy lump of regret that had settled in her stomach.She d needed some time to collect her thoughts after he d laid the truth at her feet.Apparently, itwas just enough time for him to pack his bags and leave without a good-bye.His past had been worse than she d ever imagined.As long as she lived, she d never forget thesight of him standing in that gym.For such a solid man, broad shoulders and tall frame, he had shrunkinto himself.It was the moment he walked out on her that she realized she loved him.Or it was themoment she was brave enough to accept it, because she d probably always loved him.But how he grew up and where he came from didn t matter to her.She knew he had a dark side.Sheknew he d had a difficult childhood, and she had loved him anyway.For the boy he d been.For theman he d become.They had finally crossed that invisible line.The one where he lowered his defensive walls and lether in.But as soon as he d told her everything, he d built them right back up, stronger and thicker thanever.Now he was gone.And it was all her fault.She couldn t live like this anymore, letting her fears control her.She raced out of his room towardthe elevator and down through the lobby to find her family.She d let her fear of their disapproval control her, to the point that she wasn t brave enough tostand up for Cole when he needed it.Maybe if she had fought for him, if she had told him how shefelt, he would have had a reason to stay.But she d stayed silent and let him suffer her father saccusations.He d spent the entire week trying to get her to open up to her family because he believedin her, supported her, flaws and all.And she d betrayed him by not returning that favor.She should be sad.She should be crying in the corner like a little girl because her heart wasbroken.Instead, she was angry.Blood-boiling angry.At herself.And there were a few people she needed to set straight.She walked with determination through the hotel complex toward the beach.The waves, thewildlife, and the chatter of the other guests had all morphed into a buzzing noise that echoed in herears.She stopped at the edge of the sand.Just in front of her, her family was having a great timecelebrating their version of a closing ceremony with a bonfire, but she had nothing to celebrate.Shehad lost more than just a trophy.She had lost the man she loved.If she hadn t been so angry, she would have admired that the hotel staff had dug out a pit in the sandand formed a seating area around the small fire with soft cushions and pillows.They d even set up atable with all of the fixings for s mores. Penn, there you are, Christine said, while putting her roasted marshmallow on top of chocolateand graham cracker. We ve&  Christine s face fell when she looked up at her. What s wrong?So she had her angry face on.Good.Andy ran up from out of nowhere and yanked on Penn s arm. Aunt Pennie, will you build a sandcastle with me?She looked down at her nephew, excitement and innocence in his eyes.Immediately, she thought ofCole.Of what his life must have been like at Andy s age.Going hungry [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]